Sharp Words, Cruel Fangs
by Hidden-Shadow-of-Me
Summary: Wally didn't think life could get any worse when his dad forced them to move to Gotham. But this was GOTHAM, so of course it had to prove him wrong. All he wanted was a friend, now he has a stalker with a tendency to kill new acquaintances. Lovely. But hey, at least Grayson is happy to have his new friend/meat bag. (AU where the Bat Family are all vampires)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey folks. I know I've been really bad about updating my other fics- and I PROMISE I have chapters in the works for this summer. But a friend had originally started this fic, but due to some real world things she's deciding to get rid of her whole account rather than keep it stagnantly alive (like myself). Normally I wouldn't assume that I can take on someone else's fic- but I begged for this one because we've talked about it before and I love the idea. So I'll be uploading the first five chapters she originally made, and then start my own pieces to it. If you have any questions or concerns, let me know! And her name is The_Pied_Piper on ao3.**

 **Enjoy her amazing work!**

This, Wally decided, was the worst time of his life.

He was only fifteen years old, it wasn't like he had a lot of life to compare it to, but he was very certain of this fact. It out-beat any point that he was ever grounded, and even surpassed the time he inadvertently killed his cousin's dog. All because his father lost his previous job and had to move his family.

To _Gotham._

Who willingly moves to _Gotham_?

 _Well, not me, at least._ Wally frowned out the window of his new room, watching daily life dwindle down in the lesser suburb. His entire existence had been snuggly built in Blue Valley Kansas, and partly enjoyed in the nearby Central City when he visited his uncle Barry. He couldn't believe that less than a month ago, he had still been in his old room, looking out the window much like this, and thinking it was _boring._ Idiot-He didn't know how good he had it till _this_ happened.

There wasn't even a real warning, a real sign. His dad just suddenly came home devastated one day, telling him and his mom they had cut him and several other workers from the factory due to downsizing, and that he didn't have a job. Wally had an entire week to wonder how that would affect them- would he have to sell some of his stuff? Would they be eating less? Could they afford their current mortgage? But as soon as he got home later that week, resolved to fasten down and help however he could, he was met with twin relieved smiles stating his dad's old employer sent out word and he had an opportunity already lined up for him.

Just not in Blue Valley.

Which meant Wally had _three days_ to say bye to friends at school, and Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris, because _surprise!_ He no longer was in control of anything!

That was about the point he decided to _not_ be helpful. Oh sure, he packed, and he lifted boxes too heavy for his mother, and he read map directions, but his attitude?

Definitely left wanting.

Which is how he ended up in his room- it had been two weeks since they'd moved in, and despite everything that made Gotham _Gotham_ , his dad was chipper with his new pay, and his mom was settling in. And they were fed up with his unyielding attitude.

" _Have you even tried to make friends, Wally?" His mother looked up from the TV special, frowning at his latest report that amounted to 'this new school sucks'._

" _Friends with_ who _? They're all snobs, mom! Why the hell couldn't I stay in public school?" His science grades had achieved him a scholarship straight to Gotham Academy- home to the richest ass holes in the nation. And Wally wasn't converting to their kind._

" _Wally, this is the best opportunity our family has ever had!" Mary stood from the couch, by passing the boxes still filled with their earthly possessions. "We know it was abrupt, and, well, the relocation isn't our first choice, but your behavior lately has been unacceptable!"_

" _Why'd we have to move to_ Gotham _?" Wally bypassed her accusation, attacking with his own. "If dad's work was so thoughtful, why couldn't they have helped us settle in a new place in Central- like his other coworkers? This is_ Gotham _! Home of the richest jerks and the freakiest crime rates in the world! They didn't do us_ any _favors!"_

"Enough _!" Mary grabbed his shoulder, the force of her hold telling him they weren't discussing this further. "I will_ not _tolerate you talking like this,_ especially _about the sacrifices your father made for us! Go to your room- and when I make supper, you_ will _have a better attitude when you come down!"_

 _He wretched out of her grip, stomping for emphasis as he left. "I'm not changing my attitude for your mistake- so don't bother setting a place for me!"_

"Wallace-! _" but by then he had slammed his new room's door firmly, quickly turning the lock and putting in music to drown out whatever screaming she might attempt._

That had been six hours ago. He had eventually taken the plugs out, and had heard his dad come home three hours before. Dinner must have happened, but he'd take the pang of hunger over admitting he was wrong for as long as it took.

Which was until breakfast, at the rate he was going.

Really, though. Gotham was known for its unfriendly, psychopathic population, and he had thus far not seen _anything_ contrary to that ideal. Heck, the 'welcoming gift' from the neighbors had been some nice cans of pepper spray and recommendations for what security systems work. His one _small_ consolation was a girl he met two blocks down. With her attitude, he wasn't likely to get any friendship out of that blond harpy, but _man_ did she have a nice figure- and he wasn't above strategically placing himself around the area to admire it- especially when she went running.

But one hot babe did not make up for a world of egocentric, vicious, shallow sheep the world had the audacity to call _people_.

 _I need out- I just… need out!_ He'd heard about the dangers of being out on Gotham streets once the sun went down, and normally he'd heed them. But his parents had expressly forbidden him to go on any night endeavors like he used to in Blue Valley- and he was in a rebellious sort of mood.

Glancing back at his door, noting no sounds were coming from the other side, he quickly unlocked the latch and checked the fire escape. As far as he knew, he was the only one ever tempted in this condo-complex to use it, and that was to his advantage.

Quickly, he grabbed his pocket knife and cell ( _just in case_ ), then exited onto the iron rigs. Closing the window behind him, he ensured the lock didn't latch on him, then proceeded to escape down the stairway into the back ally. It was gated to keep the homeless people from digging through their trash, but the fence did little to stop a healthy, fit fifteen year old boy.

Without further fanfare, he quickly pulled up his hood and jogged to a nearby park. Let the stupid muggers and psychopaths come. This was the lowest he'd ever been.

So what could possibly make it worse?


	2. Chapter 2

Wally wondered if the red sky was a permanent fixture in Gotham. It was never _dark_ , per say, but when the sun left and the moon rose, there was very little chance of seeing anything outside of earth's atmosphere due to the heavy haze of fog, which coincidentally glowed that ominous red against the city lights.

Another constant in Gotham was the sad excuse for greenery. It probably had something to do with the red lighting at night, but nothing seemed to grow that healthy shade of green. Wally had serious suspicions that someone genetically modified everything to get rid of that inner glow plants were _supposed_ to have so they were left with something dark that felt more like a dirty smear on the landscape than an active form of life. It was making his idea to go through the park kinda suck. A lot.

Either way, it wasn't really helping his mood. All it did was remind him that he could be in Central City, sitting out behind his Uncle's place and roasting s'mores while the Allen family regaled him with stories from their respective work places.

He had a relationship with his Aunt and Uncle that he just couldn't have with his parents. Parents had to enforce rules and punishments, his favorite relatives just let him do his own thing. With the Wests he was too embarrassed to bring up certain things that could happen in school or with himself, but his Aunt and Uncle were always there to give solid advice.

It just wasn't fair.

 _There's nothing for me in this stupid city._ He kicked at an empty can, watching it bounce into the grass. _I hate everything!_

He had hoped to clear his head a bit, maybe throw in some successful rebelling against his parents, but being several blocks from home and help was starting to make him edgy. And it weirded him out that the park didn't even seem to have a night life. Nothing but eerie silence had been following him around. True, he could hear some cars in the distance- a radio playing and a man yelling a few blocks down, but nothing where _he_ was. _Isn't that a thing?_ Wally frowned towards the grouping of trees nearby. _Where if a big predator comes by all the smaller animals hide and stay quiet in fear?_

…Nah.

He came to the fountain set in the middle of the park with the silence still lingering. The man-made construct had seen better days since there was no sign of water and a plethora of graffiti art. Wally sighed, leaning against the stone and listening to his sneakers squelch some old trash bags. "Man, even if this _is_ the land of perpetual darkness, you'd think _somebody_ would do a better job with keeping public spots in shape." He missed Blue Valley, he missed _normalcy_. "No wonder this place is full of psychos. Gotham is just inviting that kind of disaster." He smirked to himself-

But the smirk dropped when his comment was met with a very, very creepy cackle.

 _Holy Shit- someone's here!_ He turned his back on the fountain, glancing around furiously. The laugh was echoing everywhere, no real point of origin available. His brain took this as the perfect opportunity to remind him that he wasn't supposed to go out due to the _criminals, killers, and rapists_ that seemed to lurk the Gotham underbelly. He fumbled for the pocket knife, his belligerent courage from earlier failing him. _Christ, I only have a pocket knife, what is_ wrong _with me?_

"Uh… hello?" He tried not to look blatantly terrified, but he wasn't exactly well-versed in these situations. He was nervous, and when he was nervous, he tended to run his mouth. "Look, glad you appreciate my humor and all, but creeping on a guy is just rude, you know? Terrible first impressions…"

"You shouldn't be out here."

Wally did _not_ squawk. But he _may_ have admitted a noise of surprise when a voice sounded from _right behind him_. He swung around, and naturally tripped himself in the process. The teen hit the ground with a clatter- most of the noise coming from the pocket knife now a few too many feet away from being useful. Recovering, he looked up as the laugh sounded again, panic making his breath pick up and god he prayed they at least found his body because he was alone and isolated and _shit shit shit_ he was such a stupid kid-

Oh.

Well, at least he was in good company.

The kid, _the kid_ , who had startled him laughed again, another one of those dry cackles that echoed eerily around them. With a grace that should _not_ be allowed for such a gangly kid (not even a _teen_ , a _kid_ ), the black haired boy leaped off from where he had been lurking on the fountain, stopping just on the rim to grin down at Wally with an infuriating air of arrogance. To complete the surreal experience, the kid was wearing _sunglasses_ at 11pm. What even…?

"There are some pretty dangerous guys out here that would take you out in seconds." The kid picked off where he left off, the delivery of his tone was cold with an underlying cynical air that- combined with a rather shit eating grin- made Wally shiver.

There was something about the thin being in front of him- it set off alarm bells that made no sense in his brain of science and logic. Brushing it aside ( _probably spooked by Gotham's freaking atmosphere_ ) he got down to what was important. "Dude- you're a _kid_!"

The arrogant smirk returned. "And this is a shot in the dark, but you must be Mister Obvious."

Wally winced as he picked himself up, grateful that he had nothing more than a scrape on his palm to show for his lack of coordination. That would be easier to pass of with his parents than a huge bruise not their the previous night. He glanced belatedly at the pocket knife still on the ground- instincts saying to _vault for protection you idiot_ , then ignored it and focused on the kid instead. "As a matter of fact, it's _Captain Obvious_." He couldn't help his own self-deprecating grin. "But everyone calls me Wally."

Just as he had hoped, the kid let out a snort of mirth, some of the cold eddying away- just slightly. " _Wally_? What kind of karma did you get born with to deserve _that_?"

"It's short for _Wallace_. I take what wins I can."

The boy sat down on the rim, cocking his head to the side in a way reminiscent of a bird. "Not only are you wandering in the dark of Gotham _alone_ , you're giving out your name like candy. You were _just_ complaining about our resident psychos." His face scrunched up behind the glasses, making a faux show of being genuinely concerned. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Hey, says the kid creeping around an empty park! I'm pretty sure there's a pot and kettle that are black involved here." Wally folded his arms in a slightly exaggerated grumpy manner. "I'm not used to being stuck indoors like this for my 'safety'." He made an exaggerated gesture at the word, disgust clear in his tone. "Blue Valley and Central have crime, but it's never bad enough to keep me off the streets."

The kid- and speaking of _rude_ , he still hadn't introduced himself yet- knocked a hand against his forehead. "That explains it- you're not from here! Should have known by your smell alone, I guess."

 _My_ smell _? Does Gotham have such a problem you can_ smell _who lives here? Ew._ "Yeah, well, if I had a choice, I'd never have set foot in this city."

"Most people end up coming to that conclusion sometime in their lives here." He saw the black haired kid's eyebrows rise above the glasses. "What brought you here? Visiting? Living?"

Wally scoffed, turning and dramatically sitting next to the boy. He saw the other kid tense- and again that flutter of fear echoed through him, but it was ignored in the name of conversation. "If you can call being forced here _living_ , then yes." He shrugged one shoulder, brow furrowing as he remembered his earlier qualms. "My dad had to go and lose his job, and packed my family up and hauled us _here_. He and mom think it's the best thing that could have happened, and _I'm_ the one not getting with the program." He looked over at the kid, and couldn't help noticing how pale the kid looked in the dark. Well, that settled it. Gotham didn't get enough sunlight either. _This city was so shitty._ "That's why… I'm out here to clear my head, I guess."

"Hmm, you mean sticking it to your parents in an act of rebellion."

"Dude, what are you- ten? Try to sound your age- none of that maturity crap."

 _That_ got another huge laugh from the stranger, the sound curling at the end with an air of irony that Wally couldn't place. "Try to sound my age, huh? I'll have you know, I'm _thirteen_. Plenty old to be mature."

"As a fifteen-year-old, I firmly disagree with you."

"And there you go again, giving out your information."

"Yes, kettle, this pot hears you loud and clear."

The boy grunted and let it pass, the smile turning smaller. His grins and smiles never widened enough to show teeth. "I wasn't kidding though, there are some messed up things out here in Gotham, _especially_ at night. You should head home."

"No offense, but having someone younger than me say _I'm_ the one in danger offends my sense of masculinity."

"Based on that shriek when I revealed myself, you don't have much of it."

"Quiet. Either way, I still need some time before heading back to all of _that_." He waved a hand in the air, as if the gesture could encompass his home life. A second later, though, inspiration struck Wally so _obvious_ it shouldn't have taken that long to think of it. "Dude! Can I just hang with you?"

Weirdly, as soon as he said it, the boy absolutely _stilled_. Wally was working himself up to being spooked by the virtual frozen appearance until the kid talked again. His voice had lost that sing-song arrogance, the mischievous lilt. "You… you want to hang out? With _me_?"

He sounded so incredulous. Like the question was bizarre rather than his reaction. "Well, yeah. You seem like a fun guy. And hey, we both sneak out into dangerous situations when its dark- we have so much in common." Wally wiggled his eyebrows, trying to coax another laugh from the kid, but he remained quiet, unable to digest Wally's words.

"No one… no one ever hangs out with me. They don't want to." The last sentence was delivered with a self-deprecating tone, sparking a stir of pity in Wally.

"Really? Well 'they' must be idiots."

Finally, a choked laugh broke through the kid's shock. "No, I'm pretty sure _you'd_ be considered the idiot here."

"Nice, real great way to start this whole friendship thing."

The kid froze all over. " _Friends_? With _me_?"

"You know, if you keep reacting this way, I'm going to suspect major bullying issues."

"No, no, it's not like that, but…"peered at him, his eyes still hidden, but the expression had turned oddly vulnerable. "You really want to hang out with me? Be my… friend?"

"Why not? You're the first kid I've met who doesn't make me want to bang my head against a wall rather than talk to you- and no offense, but your response kinda makes me think you could use one too." He grinned reassuringly, freckles standing out in the streetlights. Half-mockingly, he held out a hand. "So, whadda ya say? Friends?"

The boy looked at the hand for a long time, face saying he was at war with himself on the matter. But he glanced up to see Wally's sincere face, and a quieter, but much more genuine smile bloomed over his features. Reaching out his own hand, which Wally realized was too cold from sitting on the stone, he shook firmly. "Friends."

They stayed out for several more hours, neither apparently worried about their respective parental figures in the name of having someone close in age to talk to. Videogames were a huge topic (' _You've already played Santa Prisca Invasion 3?! That's not in stores yet!_ ' ' _Connections, Wally. Connections._ ' ' _Say you'll lend it to me._ ' ' _Only if you let me borrow your Reflected Darkly copy. My dad thinks the content is too misleading to buy it for me._ ' ' _Done deal, dude._ '), as well as what the crappiest feature of Gotham was (' _I don't know why we're arguing this; the red skies are freaky as hell, hands down._ ' ' _Nah, adds to the Gotham charm. It's the tainted water you have to feel nervous about. Supposed to have a mixed concoction of chemical waste and the blood of killed inmates at Arkham Asylum._ ' ' _Thanks, I really needed to know that._ '), but it mostly jumped around everything, giving the two teens a chance to learn more about the other.

Wally learned by the end of the night that the kid didn't like being touched unless he initiated it himself- after one too many flinches of Wally shoving him in the shoulder or musing his hair. Similarly, while he let Wally gripe endlessly about his family woes, he remained pretty tight lipped about his own. The boy learned that Wally practically spoke a second language through touching, though, and did his best to return the gestures and tolerate when they came unexpectedly. Finally, the black-haired kid looked over to the east, apparently seeing some change Wally couldn't. "I have to get going- I haven't eaten tonight, and I'm th… well, kinda starving."

"Yeah, I think it's time I head back too." Wally hadn't wanted to admit it while they were talking, but he was starting to feel weary to the bone. If he didn't get back soon, he wasn't going to have any sleep before school. "Is it safe for you to head back on your own? How far is home?"

The boy laughed again, like Wally told an inside joke. "Trust me, I'll be fine. _You_ be safe- wandering around like an idiot in a new city isn't going to help you last long."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." Wally pushed off the rim, barely remembering to pick up the still discarded pocket knife. "Wait," he turned back. "Can I have your number? How can I find you later?"

Another laugh. "I'll give you my number next time. Don't worry, I'll find you easily."

"Wow, really holding on to that creepy title, aren't you?" Shaking his head, ignoring the whispering flutter of unease, he turned to head out the way he came. "Be seeing you, kid!"

"Hey!"

Wally turned again, seeing the kid had also vaulted with that unfathomable grace onto the sidewalk. He gave another grin- the genuine kind. "My name's Robin."

The red head blinked. "Robin? Like the little bird?"

"Watch it."

"You have no right to make fun of my name."

"Psh, whatever." The kid turned, keeping eye contact as he walked the opposite direction. "Get some sleep, Wally."

Wally grinned stupidly. "Sure thing. Be safe, Rob!" He snickered as the smaller boy let out a sound of exasperation, then headed home. The trip back was even easier than the way there, and when he fell to his bed, playing back the events of the evening through his head with a smile, he didn't even notice the additional shadow being caste into his room, vigilantly watching him.

 **Okay- so just as a head's up, while the 5 initial chapters aren't my work (because I adopted the fic, see ch. 1), I do have permission to do my own little grammar changes, and I did that with a few lines. So if anyone read this story in it's first home, that might be why it seems a little off.**

 _ **REVIEW RESPONSE(S):**_

 **RosesGlams** **\- Thank you! I wish I could take credit for the initial idea, but at least The_Pied_Piper was willing to share.** **I'll do my best to live up to what she had been originally creating!**

 **VeronicaChase** **-** **glad to hear it- I look forward to hearing what you think of future chapters!**

 **Guest** **\- that is correct- the idea is the bat fam is a BAT family. The original author thought she might bring in actual super power heroes, but I don't think I'll do that. Because if Gotham still has it's typical crime rate WITH vampires to boot, it's really just overkill at that point. I do plan to have Artemis around, but I don't know if there will be any real shipping going on. Maybe some side hints at romance, but it'll be more of an adventure fic.** **Hope you continue to like it!**

 **Ashuri** **\- Thank you for reviewing! I'll do my best to keep meeting expectations and surpassing them!**


	3. Chapter 3

Whatever good memories of the night before still fluttered in his conscious that morning were abruptly shredded when the first thing he hears at Gotham Academy is that a dead body had been found less than a block from that park.

Wally _knew_ murder was a thing in Gotham- the whole city was embarrassed to have held the highest murder rate in the country for the last five years. His dad had a habit of watching the news, and crime was talked about with as much blasé attitude as the weather here.

But all he could think about was Rob, and how stringy and small he was, and Wally shouldn't have let him go home alone- he was such an idiot. Wally was the older one. Sure he was new to the city, but he still had that responsibility, didn't he? The fatal _whatifwhatifwhatif_ questioning played in his head until he managed to find time in first period to check the news on his phone. The second he read that the victim was a 32 year old male, he had exhaled a sigh of relief that garnered a few wary glances from his classmates. The story was still gruesome though- signs of a struggle were indicated, and it was clearly a vindictive attack rather than a mugging gone wrong- since his wallet was still present, but the throat had been cut by a sharp object. The police were slightly baffled that the wound didn't spray more blood, but it coincided with similar cases they'd seen throughout the last several years. Which, great- there was a serial killer on the loose.

Of course it was a serial killer.

Gotham probably had five official ones and seven unofficial. God this place sucked.

But with Wally's extensive playing history of violent video games, he was desensitized to the situation and- seeing as his new best bud was not involved- was over it by the end of the day. In fact, he found he could make light of it- and used it as the perfect opportunity to break the ice with miss harpy. Because that sexy figure was worth at least _trying_ to play nice.

Trying, key word. Because it ended in an epic explosion of failure.

As the final bell for the day rang, he had approached her- alone at her locker, as was per usual. It was one other thing going for her: she clearly understood that the suck ups they were surrounded by weren't worth her time. Even the guys seemed to have learned to not try- but Wally knew he could beat the odds.

"So…" she glanced at him when he leaned non-chalantly against the neighboring locker, giving his best debonair smile, "Ariel, is it? Or should I just call you sexy? How's it hangin'?"

If her exotic eyes narrowing immediately wasn't a hint that he said the wrong thing, the slamming of the locker door certainly was. "It's Artemis, actually. Up until a second ago, it was going good."

 _Playing hard to get, huh? Nothing the Wallman can't handle._ "Sorry, Artemis. Cool name. And no worries, glad I can make a good day _great_. If you want, we can even go as far as making the day _fantastic_."

For the record, she wasn't supposed to _frown_ at that statement. Maybe a breathy giggle, or a small smile, but not a _frown_. "You made a good day go _sour_ , idiot. If the way you blatantly oogle me and the other girls is any indication, I think you're going to want to take your sad jock efforts somewhere else. Before I irreversibly destroy certain body parts." Then the chick had the _audacity_ to flounce away. _Flounce_.

But Wally wouldn't be himself if he gave up- no longer for any semblance of relationship, but out of sheer stubborn will that he _could_. Biting down his _bitch_ remarks, he quickly walked after her, catching up easily. They exited the building- most kids had already had their private chauffers or parents pick them up, but he knew for a fact she walked at least half of the same way home as him. Still, a change of tactic was going to have to happen. "Babe, hold up- can I at least walk part of the way home with you? Oogling will stay to a minimum-" Artemis turned and glared, "I mean _zero_ , _zero_ oogling will happen- okay? 'Sides, with that serial killer around, it's better to at least have someone around for a little while to keep you safe, right?"

The blond scoffed, rolling her eyes. "The chivalry isn't needed- he's not going to attack in broad _sunlight_."

Wally raised an eyebrow, the phrasing of the answer totally throwing him off his Wallman game. "Well why not? Because it's not cliché enough? And- yeah, probably a guy, but how do you know it's not a _girl_?"

But she refused to answer him. "Look, I don't want to make friends, okay? I have too much on my plate to bat my eyelashes and stupidly giggle at some newbie who has a crush on me."

Okay, that did it. He stopped where he was on the sidewalk- watching as she continued on without a backward glance. "Woah there, Miss Congeniality. You know what? Fine. So _rry_ for extending the olive branch. Thought there was at least one other kid at this school who didn't fall into either category of _stuck up asshole_ or _prissy bitch_ \- but my mistake, you clearly fit both categories!"

 _That_ got a reaction, which he was vindictively appreciative of even as he cringed at his own stupidity. She whirled on him, grey eyes glinting and her hair looking incredibly good despite being on such a rude head. "Oh, that's rich- coming from the guy who's practically stalked me since day one!"

"I have _not_!"

"You sit on the same freaking corner every time I jog and _leer_ , you pervert!"

"I was admiring your beautiful physique!" He threw his hands in the air, exasperated, and hoping the dramatic gesture pulled her eyes away from his reddening ears. "But trust me- I've learned my lesson- that body is _not_ worth dealing with your shit! There's plenty of girl's who'd want a piece of this!"

"Good of you to _say_ , you bastard!" She turned around, taking a few furious steps away, before turning back once more. "It's no wonder you can't make any friends yet- I'll give you a hint; it's not because of the snobby rich kids, it's more to do with your _inflated ego_!"

"You are _so off base_!" But she was already stalking away, throwing a parting finger in the air to verbalize what she didn't say. Cursing under his breath, Wally scuffed at the sidewalk and hurried down a different street. It wasn't the normal route home, but he'd be damned if he trailed behind that hot head like some sulking loser. _'It's more to do with your_ inflated ego _!' Look who's talking sweet heart!_ He grit his teeth. "I do _not_ have an inflated ego. I'm _self-confident_."

Well, at least there was one way he could prove her wrong- he did have a friend, and he wasn't going to lose him to 'an inflated ego'. Wally felt uneasy earlier about trying to find Robin so soon after that attack, but what the hell- he had a point to prove.

Besides, if what Rob creepily said before was anything to go by, he'd find _him_ so they could hang out.

 **I like this chapter, weirdly, because I think people can sometimes forget Wally's downfalls. And one of those downfalls is he doesn't ACTUALLY do well with the ladies. He flirts outrageously, and once you get to know him you see his better parts, but he can come off REALLY shallow. We'll see if that affects his friendship with a certain bat, eh?**

 _ **REVIEW RESPONSES:**_

 **VeronicaChase** **\- Haha, several of my friends feel the same.** **Artemis will play a role in this, but since I took over license, I promise it won't turn into spitfire. However, I hope you don't mind, she WILL be around for the story for plot reasons. But I'm sure after reading this chapter it didn't help your views on her (though Wally kiiiiinda had it coming).**

 **Syns** **\- I can indeed promise very little romance! Friendship, suspense, sure. But no real romance. I'm glad she let me too- I just thought it was so OBVIOUS, having the batfam as the BATfam, I really wanted to see/explore the idea to a nice conclusion.** **You'll see more soon!**

 **Poksie** **\- Aww, thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy it!**

 **CherepMikhailov** **-** **Who can tell? But since so far only ONE bat really has reason to know Wally, you can safely assume it's Dick.**


	4. Chapter 4

Wally's parents, for their part, were letting up for now on him being smiley about the move. Wally knew it was in part that he stopped complaining, but he also knew they had seen the nearby murder on the evening news.

Hard to speak glory about a place that has unsolved murders happening down the block.

Still, they were parents, and at dinner they made sure to emphasize not to taking any chances, to stay on the lit paths and near busier areas when he went to or from school. They even were good enough to remind him that unless it was a school event, they would rather him not go out in the dark.

Wally did his part and nodded, mumbling affirmation into his alfredo noodles, all the while figuring out how soon he could finish his AP Chemistry homework to go find Robin.

Luckily, he had been so effectively miserable before that the West parents wouldn't dream of him setting foot willingly outside. So, the moment they turned on their late-night programming, he put together his 'Wally's still here' pillow formation under the covers before stealthily heading down the fire escape.

 _I hope he shows up in the same spot._ The teen glanced warily down alleyways, skirting around any suspicious characters slumped against various walls. Truthfully, the deep gloom and doom of Gotham was really making him worry that his stupid ass would be just lucky enough to meet up with a murderer tonight; and it did _not_ help that he was so paranoid as to feel like he was being followed. He _knows_ that's not the case, he's gone back and changed things up and looked over his shoulder every chance he got, and no one was following from behind. Either way, the sooner he found Robin, the better.

He had broken into a jog at one point, and made it to the fountain in decent time. It didn't appear that anyone was there though- a fact that left his gut roiling in fear. Because _no_ , he didn't want to stand so blatantly in the open- not with the proximity of killers in his neighborhood. He kept a firm grip on his pocket knife, hoping God was thoughtful enough to not make him need it. _C'mon Robin, where are you?_ He turned away from the fountain, scanning the dark trees.

Abruptly, a familiar cackle sounded behind him, and just like before he jolted badly. There may or may not have been a scream. Once recovered, he blew out a furious breath, "Seriously, dude?" He turned around to face the smirking kid- only to flail and squawk a second time when he saw Robin _was right behind him_. He reacted too strongly and ended up falling on his ass- getting yet another laugh out of the kid. But seriously- _how did he get so freaking close?_ Man, maybe he was so paranoid that it blocked his senses from the obvious.

 _Or it's probably because he's such a huge ninja troll._

"'Sup Wally?" Robin gave a wide grin, still not exposing his teeth. "I see your masculinity is still at an all-time _zilch_."

"Just a head's up, that joke was old yesterday." Wally stiffly got up, trying not to be gruff. "Seriously dude- we don't need to take lessons on friendship, do we?" The kid's cocky attitude melted back into that strangely vulnerable persona, and Wally mentally kicked himself for saying the 'f' word. "Sorry." He threw out, sending a reassuring smile. "I don't handle being a total loser very well."

"You're not a total loser." Robin quickly threw out, before catching himself when it came out too earnest. Smirking again, he leaned back nonchalantly. "Mostly, not _totally_. And I'm sure we can work on you not screaming like a girl."

"Ha, ha." Wally relaxed again, glad his friend was back out of the weird funk. "You know, I meant to say something last night- but sunglasses? With no sun? Doesn't make much sense."

"I like to maintain an air of mystery." Robin waved off the comment dismissively. "Plus, hiding your eyes adds an intimidation factor." Without missing a beat, the kid _flipped backwards_ and landed in a perfect crouch on the concrete and stone architecture.

"Oh?" Wally drawled, walking over and sitting back on the fountain's edge- like he wasn't super impressed by the gangly kid. "And how's that working for you? Being intimidating?"

Robin laughed more darkly than necessary. And Wally firmly ignored the goosebumps that resulted. "Oh, it's working _perfectly_."

"R _iii_ ght."

"So, are we going to hang out now?" The 13-year-old leaned closer expectantly- way too excited about the idea to be healthy.

"Dude, we're _already_ hanging out." Wally frowned slightly, a thought coming to mind. "Oh yeah. So- I'm totally doing this behind my parent's backs, but how are _you_ getting away with this? I mean- someone just got _killed_ last night and you'd think your parents would be more- I dunno, protective with letting you out?"

Robin's expression remained nonchalant even as his posture tensed. "Oh, you heard about that?" He shrugged lightly. "Happens."

Wally sputtered at the blasé air the kid was giving off- temporarily forgetting the importance of authority figures. "Dude- a guy was _murdered_! You can't just- just be 'meh' about it!"

"Hey, that's Gotham dude." The slight boy held up a hand, exaggeratingly counting on his fingers. "We have murders on Mondays and Thursdays, rape every other day, Gang War Fridays, and every weekend there's at least one corrupt corporate exposure day."

The red head gapped at him. He couldn't just _talk_ about those things like there was a chance of showers! This wasn't the weather forecast! _This Gotham place is so fucked up._ "Look, I knew I was moving to the land of perpetual darkness, but really, don't you want to be a little bit concerned?"

"No point. I bet he deserved it anyway." Robin threw in, a small frown forming on his face as he stared towards the city buildings. "Most people in Gotham deserve the fates they get."

"Yeah?" Wally didn't really want to talk about it, but he felt responsible to convincethe kid to be more careful. "What if it happens to _you_ one of these days? Heck, with my luck it'll end up happening to _me_."

Robin's head turned so fast it was spooky. "It won't happen to you, ever."

Wally backed up a little, trying to calm the spike in his heart beat. "I'm sure now that you've declared it the murderer won't come near me. You know, since you'll intimidate him into listening with your glasses-on-at-night schtick."

He said it in a blasé tone, hoping to lighten the mood again, but if anything Robin grew more serious. "I mean it Wally. You'll stay safe."

"Okay, uh, whatever you say."

The conversation drifted off to an uneasy silence, both looking away from the other, and Wally couldn't help but wonder at the weird behavior. It felt like he should be noticing something that was just flitting around his mind- and if he could just sit back and _think_ , he'd realize it. But instead as the air grew more uncomfortable, Farty Arty came to mind- and her heinous parting words to him.

Rob was his friend, and he wasn't about to lose him to awkward situations. He bumped the other teen's shoulder, ignoring his flinch, and waiting patiently till the black shades returned to him questioningly.

"So… which is better, pirate or ninja?"

Robin grinned.

They talked on just like before- hitting every topic in the book and strategically avoiding any further mentions of parents or the murder. As promised, Rob produced a sleek new phone and gave Wally his number to add to the hand-me-down extra Mr. West had given him. After they had accomplished exchanging numbers (with Rob overly-warning him that he tended to ignore texts during the day because of his schedule), Wally went in full swing to show Robin exactly which games were the most addicting to play on his mobile.

Finally, Robin looked up, again staring off into the distance as if seeing something Wally couldn't. "We should start heading back."

Wally knew that- logically- the kid was right. It had been _hours_ since he had taken off, and he had school the next day. Still, part of him wanted to stay with the shrimpy kid. There was just something about Robin that excited Wally in a way he never felt back in normal Blue Valley. "But duuude~, we still need to see who makes it to level 30!"

Frowning, Robin turned back to Wally, assessing his features. "I really don't think-"

"Oh c'mon," Wally wheedled. "Will it matter to wait another thirty minutes?"

Over the course of the night they had ended up scooting closer for the sake of keeping an eye on the competition as they gamed, but Wally hadn't realized just how close until he could distinctly _hear_ Robin breath in oddly. Was he… sniffing him? What- did he pass gas?

"Uh, Rob?"

Robin smirked once more. "Yeah, it'll matter." Surprising Wally, before he could protest for at least _fifteen more minutes of play time!_ Rob took off the sunglasses to reveal some of the bluest eyes he had ever seen. The red head stared dumbly at them- embarrassingly mesmerized by the stark color.

To make matters weirder, Robin leaned _closer_ \- and Wally was positive that tickling sensation near his throat meant the kid was _definitely_ sniffing him. But even though he could _think_ that- the associated outrage and discomfort were absent. All Wally could do was repeat _wow those eyes_ in his head. They were practically hypnotizing. _No wonder he wears glasses._

As if catching himself, Robin leaned away, eyes once again meeting Wally's boring green. "Go home, Wally."

The teen isn't sure what happened after that. They might have exchanged generic farewells, he might have hugged the kid. Hell, he might have scaled a tree and howled at the moon. It doesn't matter because his mind was entirely blank. One second he was there at the park- the next he was looking at his dummy pillow self, safely in his room. Before he could even ask himself _what the hell just happened_ , exhaustion finally hit him, and he unceremoniously fell to the bed- the few birds nearby just starting to chirp out the new day.

 _ **REVIEW RESPONSES:**_

 **Poksie** **\- Haha yeah, him and Artemis were never meant to just** _ **click**_ **, that canon relationship took** _ **effort**_ **. XD We will see more of Artemis, though. Probably not as a love interest. ;) Thank you for reviewing!**

 **Syns** **\- Thanks! I hope you liked the update.** **Well, I won't give away spoilers, but Artemis is certainly going to be around more in the future. Look forward to hearing from you again!**

 **gima2618-** **I'm glad you're liking the story so far! Yes, well, Robin's more socially awkward than expected, especially when it comes to friendships.** **But he'll get better… probably. Thanks for reviewing! And woo- you read it just in time to get a new chapter up the same day! :D**

 **Till next time, lovelies~**


	5. Chapter 5

It shouldn't have been that big of a deal for him, but it was.

He couldn't get over how he managed to forget _an entire night_. Well, technically it was only the getting home part, but _man_ was he really that tired? That had never happened to him before, he'd never… maybe there was something to what Robin had said about Gotham's tainted water awhile back, maybe he was getting some weird brain disease.

Well, either way, he wasn't going to _mention_ it. His parents would see right through it if he doctored the timing and have a fit more that he left the house than his memory slip. And Robin seemed to swing way too dangerously from thinking he was the ever-so-cool thirteen year old that teased Wally for his naivety, to this vulnerable and sad kid who was scared Wally would suddenly decide he hated him. He'd probably think Wally was _blaming_ him for the random malfunction, think that Wally didn't want to be around him.

So, no mentioning it. To anyone.

Which was still okay, because he was okay. It was two weeks later and it had only happened one other time (which sucks, because that night had been a really great conversation with his best bud, and he remembers the kid reminding him of the time, but he's going to regret it if they'd had more awesome conversations after that). He and Arty-the-harpy had come to an agitated stand-off, and he hadn't really warmed up to any of the other kids yet, but that didn't matter when he had Robin.

Well… there was one other thing, though.

Again- _so not_ that big of a deal. In fact, there was every chance of it being really bad paranoia because this _was_ Gotham city he was forced into living in. There was a known serial killer on the loose and everything. But as soon as it got dark, if he was ever outside (which with seeing Rob had become a lot more frequent than he would ever have thought), Wally had the distinct feeling of… unease.

Okay, it felt like someone was stalking him.

Which again- _totally ridiculous_. Because something would have _happened_ by now if some malicious person was following him. And the feeling was persistent- he'd tried several different routes, doubled back and took unnecessary turns- the whole shebang. Nothing shook the feeling from him though. His fifth night, he had actually been a little wound tight from a rough day at school, and had taken advantage of his years in track by quickly going back around a corner.

And for his troubles, he almost got a face full of bat.

It had been flying on silent wings, but at his cry of panic since _A BAT WAS ABOUT TO FLY IN HIS FACE_ the semi large mammal let out its own chittering squeak before gracefully flying up, flipping backwards, and settling a little disgruntledly on the fire escape ladder.

Wally scanned the rest of the area, but there had only been them- and bats don't stalk people. Groaning at his own stupidity, he rubbed his tired eyes, then with a parting "Sorry, bat." _Thought you were a stalker_ , he made his way to Rob, not noticing the glowing red eyes blinking after him.

Since that moment of self-humiliation, he had done his best to ignore his paranoia, especially when it seemed Robin was catching on to his concerns- and teased him mercilessly over it. ( _"Wally, you're probably the safest guy in Gotham." "What, you think I'm too annoying to interest a serial killer? Should I be offended?" "Whoever it is wouldn't be able to get around your giant ego to actually do some damage anyway." "I don't have an ego, I'm_ self-confident _."_ )

So, for now, the memory slips and constantly-watched-feeling were ignored. Because aside from that, he honestly had it _good_. He wasn't great friends with anybody, but (and _not_ because of what Artemis said) he had toned down the 'Wall-man' and found people at least willing to put up with him during school hours. His parents were laying off of him fully accepting his dark new home in the name of family civility, and thanks to Robin, he never really had enough time to feel lonely for his old life.

It was good, and more importantly, it was almost to the point of normalcy.

Of course, Robin was once again the one to shake things up for his life.

He was getting out of school later than normal due to a history project, and had texted Rob a heads up that they wouldn't get to hang since he needed to take a night to _actually_ do his homework and not let his grades slip. His parents, though reluctant since the killings haven't let up, okayed his late curfew for that evening (it helped that the deaths had been progressing further away from their home). The sun had just about set in the sky, most of the world tinged back to the foreboding red of Gotham night.

He hadn't even gotten a full block from the school when he heard it, the sounds of a scuffle going down. Wally had been warned over and over again by his teachers and classmates alike that Gotham was different than wherever-the-hell he was from; when you heard sounds of a fight or distress in an alley, _you run, you don't play hero._

But Wally didn't believe in running when someone needed help.

And it was a good thing he hadn't, because after cautiously following the sounds till he saw a group far in the dead end, straining to hear what was going on.

"… going to burn you good until your master shows 'is face."

"Not 'fore I get revenge for Drew, though. You leeches 'ave gone unchallenged long enough!"

"What, you really think you can take me?" Wall felt his body go cold as he recognized that too-young arrogant tone. "Come on then, guys, wouldn't want to wait around and play _victim_ for you."

 _Oh shit. Oh shit ohshitohSHIT._

Robin. It was _Robin_.

There were three men, two of them who looked more like goons than people and one thin ferret looking one. They were cornering his friend, and it was too dark to see right, but it looked like the weapons were more impromptu than intentional ( _Is that a_ tent steak _? The hell?!_ ). Wally couldn't help but wonder what Rob had done to get _this_ kind of reaction- but the men were still threatening something or another under their breaths, and the weapons were getting too close to his friend.

Before he could question his sanity, he had dropped his backpack and run up behind them- tackling the closest one to the ground in an aggressive headlock. It was a miracle it worked. The second their attention turned to him, he looked at the younger boy. "Dude, run!"

Robin clearly hadn't seen him come up, and had been crouched and snarling in a manner that sent panic through Wally. He ignored it, though, knowing it was more the situation than his friend truly scaring him ( _And like that pose is going to scare full grown men coming from a kid, dude!_ ). Honestly, Wally couldn't see Rob that well, his darker clothes blending into the darkness so that he appeared to be more shadow than person at that point. But seeing Wally, his entire face slackened into a small open mouthed shock. It was too dark too see anything but the general details, but in the few seconds it took for the men to shout in surprise, to then shout in anger at Wally's interference, Robin went from being against the wall, to _somersaulting up and leaping off it_ onto another guy, then shoving him to the ground as he leapt off again and landed next to his friend. The remaining one looked between the two, then started to zone in on Rob again ( _Seriously Rob, what did you do?!_ ).

"I already called the police!" Wally blurted, trying to think of anything that would stall these creeps. ( _Fuckfuckfuck that was the first thing I should have done fuck we are screwed_ ) The effect of his statement was lost, though, when the guy underneath him finally shoved him off. The two stood again, their shadowed profiles only appearing all the more menacing.

One raised his weapon- _was that a fucking shard of metal?_ "You'll regret siding with that leech 'ere, boy."

He doesn't stay to hear more, but not because he woke up from his paralysis of fear so much as Robin grabbing his wrist and _wrenching_ him around to then sprint like the devil was on their tails. Wally had always thought he was a good runner, and he was, but Robin kept up with him so _easily_ , and in such perfect form- you wouldn't guess they were running for their lives instead of some nice 5k run. Every time Wally saw a bit of light from the sun still up- leading out to a populated street, Rob would yank him down a different ally. "This way! There's a better route! Don't let them catch you!"

The men were still coming, but gradually they were losing distance. Robin kept a brutal pace, but Wally was too hyped on panicked adrenaline and competitive nature to ask to slow. Finally, at a glance up, Rob stopped them and forced him to climb a fire escape of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. It was a smaller building, tucked into the shadows of the city, but the darkness gave them plenty of cover to avoid those goons.

They reached the top, and Wally immediately fell onto the roof gratefully, breathing in gulps of dirty air. He really hoped those guys didn't catch them, because he was _not_ running like that again anytime soon.

Robin- the brat, didn't even seem winded. He just stood there, at first scanning the ground below, then his eyes fixed on Wally's slumped form. "You saved me." His voice sounded astonished. "Were you really about to take on three guys on your own for me?"

And that, really, was what reminded Wally that his younger friend had been in life threatening danger and hadn't had _any help_. "What the heck were you doing?!" He shakily rose to his feet, glaring down at his friend. "You were worried about _me_ taking those guys on? What about _you_?! Were you going to take on those three thugs? _Three_? _On your own_?! Does your guardian know where you are?! That you almost got lynched by a freaking _mob_!"

He shrugged, _shrugged_ , like it wasn't that big of the deal, and went back to staring. "I would have done my best given the circumstances. You saved me, though."

The clear awe in his voice made the anger drain somewhat from the red head's tense form. He sighed, " _Duh_ I saved you Rob, we're friends." On impulse he roughly pulled Robin into a hug. He felt the kid tense, then tentatively return the hug ( _Man they have to invest in a snuggy for this kid because he should not be that cold_ ). It made the Central City kid smile. "Can you not put yourself in danger like that dude? I don't have the stamina for it."

The figure hunched closer to him, burying his black mop of hair in Wally's chest, laughing. "No promises." Came the muffled reply. But his voice was warm, like Wally had done the amazing feat here by defending him. Hugging him.

Man was Gotham messed up.

A thought occurred to Wally- actually, several thoughts did. "Rob, what were you even doing there? Why were they after you? You need to be honest here- what the _hell_ is going on?"

Robin tensed, quickly pulling away and whipping off his glasses, his intense blue eyes staring Wally down. The red head froze, a faint feeling of panic rising as his mind weirdly cleared. His friend stayed silent, looking completely unsure of himself. At this point Wally didn't care- it was such a stark blue…

After a few more moments, the younger boy finally spoke. "Wally, you don't need to know."

A flair of clarity hit the teenager, and he nodded sluggishly. Of course he didn't need to know. Honestly, Wally wasn't even sure what he was saying at this point, still completely focused on those baby blues that had now taken a sad tinge to them. "I don't need to know."

"You…" Robin faltered again. "It's not important, okay?"

He strained to hold the thoughts, to focus and _don'tforgettheseareimportant_ but what felt like a wall of fog rose in his mind, and he realized it made sense, the way Robin said it. "It's not important."

"Head home Wally, go to bed."

The thoughts stayed with him, but he didn't remember that he wanted to say them until he realized he was back at his house, completely clear of the rooftop and melting onto his bed to sleep.

When he woke up the next day, his backpack was in the room with him, the homework not done. His parents telling him that he had come home in quite the daze.

And on the morning news- the serial killer had struck again, this time killing three people. Wally shouldered his bag and walked to school, trying not to be haunted by the familiar looking corpses.

 **Alright, as of the end of this chapter, it's going to be my work continuing it. As readers, I'm going to ask that you please be critical if I'm deviating too much from the 'vibe' of the story or not creating chapters in a similar pattern. I mean, there's probably going to be some small differences to how they flow, but I'm hoping it won't be too noticeable. Wish me luck!**

 **REVIEW RESPONSES:**

 **Syns:** **You hit the daylight avoidance right on the head.** **Yeah,** _ **especially**_ **because it's the vamp family I'm planning for them to have a bit of** _ **mph**_ **to their nature. Not twilight level or anything, but you know, enough to make them a reason to 'fear the night'. If I'm honest, I'm probably not going to make garlic a big deal. I never understood that one- or the one about leaving a bunch of seeds or whatnot around so they have to count them. Robin isn't used to a lot of contact with others anymore, and I don't think he realized how much it had been absent until Wally started to provide it again. As for if Robin saw someone else or not… I'm not saying.** **Thanks again for the review! Have a great night!**

 **FreshToDeath:** **I'm glad you like it so far! The real challenge will be to meet the same type of writing. I'm told me and my friend write similarly, but let me know if after this you see any rhythm changes that doing make sense! Till next time!**

 **Poksie** **: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!** **Wally and Dick are quite the character dynamic- though with how things are progressing, I'm not sure how much longer Wally can manage to be clueless before it's just outright dumb not to notice XD Hope to hear from you again!**

 **Guest** **: I'm glad you love the story! Stick around for more plot twists, coming up!**


	6. Chapter 6

Wally tried to talk about what had happened- the day right after the event, in fact. But now it was a week later, and all he remembers was awkwardly trying to bring it up and then blank.

Nothing.

Notta.

Wally never mentions the attack again. Mostly because every time he considers it, the idea seems to blur and slide away, and he won't realize he forgot to bring it up till he wakes up the next day. It's frustrating him- he's losing time still and part of him knows there's a correlation between the lost memories and seeing Robin.

But he can't bring himself to talk about it.

It feels like a secret- something hidden that if he brings it up then something he had would be irreparably broken, and he's not ready to face that possibility. He didn't want to move to the freaking City of Death in the first place; Wally's not about to ruin the one thing going for him based on a stupid worry…

Who was he kidding? Something was up.

But Wally knew better than most people how to take problems he was facing and put them off with the hopes that it would eventually just go away. If he got those thrills of fear around his new best friend when he moved too fast or unnaturally, he ignored it. When he got paranoid on the way to or from home, he just took a deep breath and kept going. When his parents started noticing his increasing tired behavior, he ignored _them_.

Even though he was still intently _ignoring_ all the increasing weirdness, he decided to bring up the one thing he thought could be fixed.

Yesterday, he had finally pressured Rob into meeting _before_ midnight- convinced him they both needed to try and sleep more. Wally had initially started by asking to hang out less, but that proved to be the wrong thing to say. Robin had blown up; completely hurt and frustrated that Wally would even think of spending less time with him. Wally managed to convince Rob that it wasn't like that, though he clearly still wanted to argue, fidgeting with his sunglasses as he muttered under his breath.

"Rob, seriously, it's not like that. I don't know how you're not feeling it, but I'm… I'm just struggling with school, you know? And my scholarship depends on me maintaining a high GPA. I have midterms coming up, dude." He sighed when Robin still refused to look at him. "What if, what if we just hang out earlier in the day?"

" _No_." Wally couldn't hide his flinch when Rob turned too-quick, his scrunched eyebrows telling Wally he was probably on the other end of a glare. "Are you serious? You know I can't text you during the day, so what makes you think I could hang out? There's nothing wrong with meeting at night!" He stood and stalked away several steps. "You just don't want to see me anymore! You, you were all about rebelling against your parents, it didn't matter before, and now you've changed your mind just when we were starting to be real friends!"

The red head didn't know what to say. He never imagined bringing this up would cause such a reaction out of Rob. He felt guilty now, realizing a lot of this played into Rob's weird insecurity of their friendship. But he couldn't imagine being able to keep going like this… "I don't know what else to do, Rob." He said honestly, finally being the one to turn away from his friend. "It's not that I want to see you less, you're like my _best friend_. The only one I have in this stupid city! But I'm worried all these late nights- that I'm starting to… to lose it. If I can't get more sleep…"

Rob seemed to sense how much this was weighing on him. Several minutes passed in silence until Wally heard the careful tread of footsteps growing closer. He look up in surprise when an arm was carefully slung around Wally's shoulders. It was uncharacteristic of Robin to initiate physical contact. It was always tough to tell with the glasses, but Rob's expressing seemed contrite. "Sorry, Wally. I didn't mean to snap like that. I… it's probably cause I need more sleep too, you're right. What if… I think I can make it work for us to meet earlier, okay? But… let's not meet in the park, maybe closer to your school. There's this warehouse; my guardian owns it and I sometimes go there to just get away."

Wally snorted despite himself. "You go to a creepy Gotham warehouse? Man, combined with your night adventures with me, it really is shocking how you haven't gotten into more trouble."

"I just know how to stick to the shadows."

"Ninja troll."

"Would that work, though?"

Wally gave a tired grin. "As long as my parents don't make a fuss, it'll be perfect."

It seemed to be a little out of both their ways, and Wally didn't get _why_ they couldn't go to the park, but he agreed to it. He made up an excuse to his parents that there was an afterschool program, wasn't sure how long it would go, and _yes_ he'd call when he left and be safe all the way back.

So today Wally left school and made his way to the part of the city in shadow from the larger buildings.

The warehouse was in better shape than some of the structures surrounding it- no broken windows, entryways reinforced. It was a little intimidating. He followed Rob's directions to the back ally, where he found a door with a hefty security scanner. He placed in the code he had been told, and watched as the metal latch disengaged with a thump. Gulping, he entered the building, carefully closing the door behind him, jumping slightly when he heard it re-latch.

Robin had said he'd meet him there, but no one had turned on the lights. "Rob? You here, bud?" He started to feel his way down a narrow hall, seeing a dim sign of lighting at the end. He passed several doors, and started to surmise this at one point was an office building. It begged the question- what was Rob's guardian like? Obviously he was loaded, Wally had gathered that much from his friend's never ending supply of the latest tech. Probably busy, given how lonely his ward was. He'd have to look into it later. But what was this guy working in that needed such tight security?

Coming to the end of the hall, he saw the light grow brighter around the corner. When he turned, he saw a room with rather dim lighting that was the warehouse portion of the storage facility. He couldn't help but stare.

Training mats, a pommel horse, several bars and rings were scattered between varying heighted beams. It felt like he had stumbled onto a gymnast competition. And at one of the highest beams, standing gracefully on only one hand, was Robin.

He saw through the limited lighting the mop of black hair glance in his direction, bright blue eyes only half visible. "Wally! You made it safe, I see." He deftly let his feet fall forward, using his landing momentum to bring himself upright, then with utter lack of care leaping from beam to beam to make his way down. "You didn't have any trouble getting here?"

"Funny how you're worried about me traveling when the sun is still out, but never ask when we meet during the highest crim rates." Wally stared across the room in wonder. "This is amazing! Are you a gymnast? This is, like, Olympic level training!"

"Of course I'm a gymnast, Captain Obvious." Rob dramatically flipped down from the beam, resting on the mat and quickly putting on his sunglasses that had been there. "Though I guess it's more of a side hobby, now."

"Rob, dude. I knew you had some kind of parkour skills, but this is next level!"

The young teen wandered over to him, not looking like his drop from three stories had fazed him. "I used to think I'd do this for the rest of my life but… well, I grew up."

"And decided to become a ninja, right."

Rob smiled crookedly. "Hey, I'm a great ninja. Sooo… what do you want to do today? I brought my Nintendo Switch set up since we'd be near an outlet today."

"Dude, seriously?" Wally felt a grin beam across his face. "Your life, man."

Everything went fine like that, and after midterms they even started to bring back some of their nights out at the park. Wally was still relatively exhausted, but he could manage it now, and seeing how hyped Rob was every night they met up was worth it. It even seemed like their local serial killer had either gone underground or taken his killing elsewhere. Honestly, for being in the worst crime ridden city in the United States, Wally was starting to feel happy- despite the ignored problems.

Some things he couldn't ignore, though.

They were both leaving just after sundown- both in good spirits. But as they entered the back ally, he watched Robin freeze, before appearing to glare over his shoulder. Wally, confused, turned to see Artemis at the far end, clearly on her way home from a late run and looking shocked.

Wally suddenly felt unsure- he'd never really patched up things with harpy-Arty, but he could see how sketch it looked, a science geek hiding out in the back ally of some warehouse. He raised his hand, trying to pull off as much of a 'Wallman' attitude as possible. "Hey, Artemis!"

She was looking at him as if he had grown a second head, and Wally watched as her eyes traveled from him to Rob. Slowly, her gaze grew darker, and with a few careful steps back, she turned and hurried away.

"Dude, that was kinda weird of her." Wally shook his head, bemused. "I know she's a bit of a harpy, but-"

"You _know_ her?"

Wally turned back to Robin, surprised by his friend's tone. "I mean, yeah. We go to the same school, and she lives close by." He assessed his friend's tense posture, again feeling those old alarm bells echo in his head. "Uh, Rob?"

"Stay away from her." Rob grit his teeth angrily before letting his expression smooth over into a flat frown. "She's bad news, Wally. Steer clear of her."

That same feeling- the one of losing time, of not being able to talk about certain things, of how precarious their friendship was, fell onto him like a heavy blanket. "Hey, you don't have to tell me twice, trust me." Wally reassured.

But the alarm bells didn't stop ringing.

 **I was guilt tripped into updating the story I adopted. Oops. Sorry folks.** **Good news for me- I have less than a month left of summer school!**

 **Review responses:**

 **FawnTheFox:** **Isn't it great? I really appreciate how Wally is still a hero at his core. Though I think his desire for friendship is going to endanger him soon…**

 **Poksie:** **So sorry for the late late LATE response! I hope you were able to come back and visit as a ghost!**

 **Syns:** **Yeah, since I adopted this, I'm assuming it was silver (the metal object), or something of that similarity. :P Or maybe the thug just wanted to stab a vampire. Rob is realizing how- if he's keeping this a secret- he'll need to lighten up on that stuff. I think the pendulum is already swinging though, and sooner or later Wally will find out his dark secret…**

 **That one chick:** **I'm so sorry, but I've finally updated! I take my time updating, so this… this is unfortunately normal. Alfred will come in later! Not sure if I'll add birdflash though- I really like their friendship as is. But! We'll see.**

 **Jen Rock:** **Ha, yeah. I'm hoping they'll both experience some character development, but the story will probably get darker from here, so we'll see how it all plays out.**


	7. Chapter 7

He told Rob that he'd steer clear of Farty Arty- and he had done just that. But not easily. Because for once in his life, it looked like _Artemis_ was trying to seek _him_ past week had been a semi-exhausted game of cat-and-mouse; he's pretty sure he wouldn't have even noticed in his state, except one of his classmates jeeringly pointed out her loitering near his locker.

If this had been any other point in his life, he'd have glided on over there with a smolder and some pick-up lines that made girls in Blue Valley high either groan or giggle at his antics.

Now? Now Robin's look of absolute disgust kept echoing in his head as well as his words. _"Stay away from her. She's bad news."_

Which had left him, for the most part, either leaving for home without his text books (he'd finish the homework in study hall the next day), or out-lasting her by staying in the boys locker room with the sports teams till she sulked away.

Wally had been successful for the most part, but a week since the incident, his luck ran out. He wasn't coherent enough to be on his game, and so when he saw his locker thankfully vacant at the end of school, he hurried over to it out without a second thought.

And then nearly leapt out of his skin when the locker was slammed in his face, an angry blond now filling his vision.

"Want to talk about why you're avoiding me?"

Caught, he petulantly tried to tug his locker back open. "Want to talk about why you're stalking me?"

She leaned against his locker for a few more moments before relenting control, frown still in place. "Last week, who was it that you were meeting with?"

"Rob?" He blurted before mentally berating himself- he couldn't even deny it now. She continued to glare at him, and part of him felt like he should angrily tell her off; but he didn't understand the animosity- not from her, not from Robin. And with his life increasingly filled with more questions marks than explanations, he wanted answers. "You did kind of act a little weird there, what was up with that?"

Artemis went from confronting to cautious with only a shift in posture. "How do you know… _Rob_."

 _Oh, we meet at night with little to no protection against local criminals and gangs._ "Ah… we're in the same club."

"Club?"

"School club."

"He doesn't go to our school."

Wally wracked his brain, because _of course she would know that_. What was something a sporty, aloof girl would know next to nothing about? "Yeah- yeah it's, uh, a bunch of schools… together, we meet to play- not sports! Uh, video games." Warming up to the idea, he settled the last text book into is pack, shrugging the material over his shoulder. "Me and Rob are a team for one of the multi-leagues, and we've been practicing together." Remembering her reactions before, he tried again. "Is there some kind of, I dunno, _beef_ between you two?" Part of him half worried this harpy was the reason Rob was so sad when it came to friendship history. If so, Wally could see why it didn't work out.

Artemis seemed to be struggling to buy it. "So you guys just hang out. In a dark ally. Alone. To play video games."

The teen sighed in frustration. It was weird, he didn't really question that stuff, but the way Artemis said it… "Look, clearly you guys have your own issues, and it's none of my business. But on that note," He glared hard at her, "Who I'm friends with is none of _yours_ either."

She scoffed at that. "He's not your friend, Wally. He _can't_ be your friend."

He stared at her in shock. "Yeah? And why's that? Because I have too much of an _inflated ego_? Jeeze, Artemis." He banged his locker shut, feeling some satisfaction as she jumped. "I don't know what the hell your problem is, or what _his_ problem is, but quite frankly, he _is_ my friend and I don't have to sit here and deal with you're A+ crappy attitude." The sophomore stomped away, determined to never speak to her again. _What a bitch!_

"I'm serious, West!" She yelled after him. "People like him don't have friends- they only use someone until they're done!"

Wally made sure to slam the door extra hard on his way out, hurrying off to the shadowed part of the city. _Where does she get off saying that?_ Robin was a lot of things- a troll, bit weird, smart alec ninja. But he seemed like a real sincere guy with a few things he'd prefer hidden; none of what Artemis was saying matched up with the person he knows.

 _Whatever. Not like her word is worth anything anyway._ He decided he'd just go on as Robin had told him; avoid Artemis like his messed-up life depended on it.

Wally rounded the back of the warehouse, mindlessly typing in the code and wandering the dark hallway he had quickly grown used to. This time, however, he could hear Robin arguing with someone- judging by the lack of response, it was over his phone. It seemed to only heat up the closer he got, and the red head ended up hesitating at the door, wondering what was going on.

 _He always makes it sound like there's not many people in his life, so who would he be talking to?_ Wally leaned closer to the door with only a flash of guilt- far more invested in hearing snippets of Rob's conversation.

"Bruce, it's not like that… He's _not_ a hunter- _yes_ , okay? We've been through this,it was a coincidence! Trust me, he's just… a stupid teenager. He's way too young- but he's not from a hunter family like _her_.I'd _know_ if I was in danger, okay?! ... Bruce..."

 _Hunter? Danger? What?!_ Wally leaned in closer as a gruff voice sounded on the other end of the phone but froze as the door squeaked. The voice on the line went silent, and the room became eerily quiet. Embarrassed, Wally quickly knocked on the slightly ajar door, trying to recover from his bad form. "Uh, Rob? Sorry, I think I'm interrupting, but- can I come in? Or I could leave and come back…?"

The door swung open to Robin on the other side, and Wally couldn't help his jump in surprise because he could _swear_ his friend had sounded on the other side of the room and he hadn't heard any movement.

Rob frowned, but it didn't appear to be directed at him. He put the phone back to his ear. "We'll talk later, okay? Bye." He ended the call quickly, opening the door enough for Wally to come in. "Hey, Captain Klutz. Sorry, had to take a call."

"Hey, um." Wally stayed at the door. "Dude, I'm sorry because I did eavesdrop a bit, but, was that…?"

"My guardian."

"Ah, right, so… what was that about?"

"Bru- er, B-man didn't realize how much we were hanging out, and he's being ridiculous about it."

 _B-man?_ "So he's not cool with us meeting?"

Rob waved his hand in the air flippantly, flopping down onto one of the training mats. "My- he's… complicated. B's just convinced the world is out to get him and has a bad tendency to be cynical."

The teen shrugged awkwardly, letting his bag fall to the ground before sitting down next to the ninja troll. He knew his parents wouldn't mind Robin- but they'd have a problem with _when_ they met and _how_ he knew him. He'd never been in a position where a friends family _didn't_ like him. Not that he could blame the guy- Rob kept sneaking out at night to meet up, and he had to adjust things to meet earlier with Wally now. "I mean, I can see why he could be worried. Maybe I should meet him?"

Robin seemed to freeze, turning slowly to face his friend.

"No, seriously." Wally insisted earnestly. "Unless he's under the impression _I'm_ the one coercing you out into Gotham night, I bet it'd help if I could talk with him so he knows who you're hanging out with. We could grab coffee sometime, since I know you're house is out of bounds, or-"

He paused when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a snicker, then frowned outright when Rob couldn't control the laugh that burst out. _Wow, dude._ "I'm serious!"

"Hahaha! Oh man, _man_ Wally you don't even…" Catching his breath, he nudged the red-head with his shoulder. "Don't sulk, Wally. It means a lot that you'd do that for me. But B-man is… quirky. And he just- there's no way he'd accept you."

"What?" The fifteen-year-old squawked indignantly, provoking another snicker. "Dude! What's not to like? I'm a kick-ass science geek, I vote in class elections, I floss after dinner! Hell, I…" He was about to blurt _saved you that one time_ , but felt the attempt die in his throat as his mind briefly fogged. Where was he going with this? "I… I meet with you practically every day. Wouldn't your guardian trust the friends you pick?" Another thought occurred to him, and he frowned seriously. "It better not be because he's more loaded than my folks."

"Nah, it isn't that." Rob smiled reassuringly. "He just worries- B doesn't open up to new people easily; and you already know I don't have friends. It's in part because the oldie tends to scare people away."

That mollified the teen somewhat, thinking back to Artemis' confrontation. Still, he remained persistent. "I think that's all the more reason to meet him, though. I want to stay friends- and if meeting your guardian can help prevent you from getting grounded or whatever he'll threaten to do, then why not? He can't be _that_ scary." Rob snorted. "Hey, come on! I'd rather be scared by some old guy than not risk it and lose the chance to hang with you."

Rob started to look weirdly uncomfortable. "It's not that simple Wally… I don't want you to be weirded out by him and then not want to see me."

"Dude, you already weird me out. And I accept you just fine- unlike Arty." Seeing Rob stiffen, the teen quickly realized his mistake. "I, uh, saw her today."

Robin's head whipped around, the intensity from before back. "Artemis?"

"Yeah- dude, she totally cornered me after school today! Said it was bad news hanging out with you and to ditch first chance I got- I mean man, what history do you two have to put her in that mood?"

"I thought I told you not to talk with her!" Robin grabbed at the stem of his glasses, clenching his teeth and looking like he wanted to shake the red head.

Wally felt his heart rate spike at his friend's attitude but played it cool. He already knew this was a touchy subject. "I didn't, Rob. Like I said- she cornered me at school; I had to lie through my teeth and play at knowing you from a club. She didn't really buy it, though…" Rob's expression was starting to get to him, and he shifted back unconsciously. "Rob? You're- I'm kinda getting freaked out here."

That seemed to bring Robin up short, and he tried to visibly relax. "I just… she's one of the reasons my guardian worries about people I hang out with."

That brought Wally up short. " _Arty_? Wait, you know her through your guardian?"

"Our families go way back. Honestly, we've both kind of messed it up now to the point where it's just hate-and-be-hated with no alternative. Not like she _deserves_ a benefit of the doubt."

"Fair point." Wally mumbled, defensive on his friends behalf. "Man, that makes more sense about that crap she was spewing."

Rob's demeanor turned tense again. "Wait- what did she say to you? About what?"

"Just-" Wally froze. " _People like him don't have friends- they only use someone until they're done!"_ "It… it doesn't matter, obviously she was off base-"

Brilliant blue eyes suddenly found his in the dim lighting, and Wally was aware that he was now just staring stupidly into his friends' eyes, but he couldn't pull himself away. He didn't want to.

"What did she say, Wally. Tell me!"

"That you can't be my friend." He answered promptly, almost without inflection. He wanted to retract the words then and there but couldn't seem to stop himself. "That you only use people until you're done with them."

The blue eyes seemed to dim at the words, and he started to look away. Wally felt like he was walking on cloud nine with Rob staring at him, and he didn't want him to turn back. "I don't believe her, Rob." He reached out and grabbed the hand resting between them, squeezing the cold appendage reassuringly. "I'm your friend as much as you're mine. I trust you."

The blue eyes looked back to his dull green, searching. "Do you mean that?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Of course I do."

Robin grabbed his hand in return, suddenly back to being the nervous thirteen-year-old. "You're my friend too Wally- I swear! I know I keep hiding things and it's… it's draining you but, I have a plan, okay? I want us to stay friends, forever. I just need time to figure it out, and then it won't matter what other people say. I _know_ things will work out, they have to. I won't let anything stop us. Not Artemis' family, not yours, _no one_."

"Okay." The red head agreed, simply because it seemed like he should.

The dark haired boy paused a moment, assessing the older teen once more before sighing. "Wally."

"Yeah?"

"Forget this conversation we just had. You came in and heard my guardian upset, and I agreed maybe you'll meet him some time."

Wally froze for a few moments, blinking as his friend adjusted his glasses. "Dude, uh, I kinda spaced there."

Robin's grin was a little too sharp. "No worries, wasn't a big deal anyway."

 **Not much longer before I run out of ways to bat around the bush and it all comes to a head. Thus concludes a long effort to get things written before bed! And DANG you guys really blew up the mailbox this time around! Lots of people to respond to! Thank you all so much for taking the time to review, ask questions, and build theories! Mailbox:**

 **Syns:** **I'm terribly sorry for leading you to believe that- I've always been a slow updater, since my creativity tends to play more in art than writing, but I am doing my best not to abandon the work! Especially since it's adopted! I'm glad you like what's been written so far- I hope this was a good chapter for you as well!**

 **SunnyStormCloud:** **:D Thank you, I love your review! I'll keep doing my best so you can continue to enjoy it!**

 **Poksie:** **Sorry it took so long to update! Good haunting skills- I've feel the phantom guilt for awhile now.**

 **FawnTheFox:** **I will do my best to keep up the good work! Soon all will be revealed, in the most unfortunate way possible for Wally!**

 **Queen Of Sheep:** **XD haha oh man- yes, not quite the right soundtrack for that moment. But hopefully someday? Not soon- Robin has some control issues he needs to face before the friendship can really grow strong. But for now, at least they have each other.**

 **RabbitPickles208:** **I'm glad you like the story! It's not all mine- I just adopted it so it could see a conclusion, but sadly I work slow.** **I prefer not to give spoilers, but in this case I will say he was made; though when and why will have to be revealed later.**

 **VeronicaChase:** **I'M SORRY FOR MAKING YOU MISS ME. THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR REVIEWING!**

 **RandomPickles:** **I will do my best to update more! No guarantees- but I'll finish it eventually! Another person asked this, so I will answer that he was turned.** **Can't say more than that for now, though.**

 **A guest:** **I'm so glad you like the story so far! I'm building off of someone else, so I can't take all the credit, but I promise I don't plan to let it be abandoned! And man- that is a popular question tonight! No, as far as my plans go, he's a turned vampire. But we'll talk about it later!**

 **Sunny:** **Yes, Rob is a bit high strung. To be fair though, he's really desperate not to let a good thing go- so I can't blame him! But it definitely means that mix of distance and lacking trust will lead to hard roads in the future. And since I have a weakness for kidnapping- spoiler- THAT'S going to happen one way or another to someone in this fic.**

 **I don't fully know how I'm going to have their relationship anymore. It wasn't intended to turn into romance, but honestly, I'm kinda just letting the characters take me where they will for now. Hopefully no matter what direction it takes it'll still be a killer dynamic!**

 **Guest:** **I'm glad you're intrigued! Thank you for taking the time to review!**

 **Guest:** **No, Robin genuinely is drawn to Wally as a person- he's the only kind of sunshine Rob can get to at this point.** **And he doesn't want to let go of it. He definitely tries to avoid his darker tendencies around Wally, but I'm not sure how long he'll be able to manage it before something slips…**

 **A person:** **Ooo excellent theory! You are right on some levels, but I'm going to let my inner troll win here and not tell you which.** **Though it'll be revealed eventually! Thank you for taking the time to review!**

 **A person again:** **Oh you're back! Ah, see- this is where I'd gently argue that Robin was concerned because he** _ **can't**_ **know how Wally's doing in broad daylight since it's not something he can enter. Again, a solid theory, but only certain parts are right- and I'll be happy to reveal them later on!**

 **No name:** **Sorry it didn't happen this chapter.** **It's going to be a hard reaction though- trust me, it's in the works. It's definitely a fear Robin faces, even with Wally so much in the dark. He values their friendship and has some unhealthy intentions of not letting it go no matter what.**

 **Robin fan:** **Ding ding ding! You are correct! I feel like that's a spoiler, but it's pretty implied so I'll give it to you.**

 **Fruit loops:** **Heheheh… my my, what gave you such an impression? :whistles innocently: I will say this- while there are some darker aspects to Dick I haven't yet revealed, he's not a truly evil personality. Just a very possessive one.**

 **Guest:** **dang lots of guests. And yes they will! Several chapters down the line- but they're on their way!**

 **Ashuri:** **I'm so glad you found it again! :D I love that feeling of finding the long lost fanfic- was it because you knew it from the AO3 account first and couldn't find it on ? As to your questions: I believe this chapter answered the first, slight spoiler to the second so I don't want to confirm (but I feel it's also been implied here). And to your final statement, I will say that it can't be TOO well known, because surely someone would have mentioned that at school already?** **You'll find out more in the future, though. Thank you for taking the time to review!**

 **No name:** **Dang lots of no names too. Anyway, to counter your action: -Bruce comes out of nowhere from behind. You pray for mercy.-**

 **I look forward to hearing from you guys again in the future! Enjoy your October!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Rob!" Wally waved, pleased to see his friend coming to the warehouse about the same time as him that day. Ever since the confrontation last week, Artemis had gone back to leaving him alone, and it made his life a lot easier. And an easier life meant a cheerier Wally.

Robin seemed to pick up on this too; and had been a lot more excited to hang out and be with Wally- even when it wasn't during the night. Sometimes their interactions were almost flawlessly mundane- hangout, trash talk, video games, rinse and repeat.

The younger kid in question raised a hand in acknowledgement, a small grin on his face. "'Sup nerd. How'd the science test go?"

"Aced it." Wally preened, typing in the code for them and holding the door open. "Finally getting back into my groove with school- Lit would be a lot easier if I could actually _care_ , but man, why do they pick novels that are so _dead_?"

"They say being well read is the sign of a great mind." Rob quipped; smirk clear in his voice. "Shame, but it's nothing I didn't expect."

"Proud to be dumb, then. No one should be put through Hawthorne's snooze fest unwillingly." He opened the final door to the main room with a little more force than needed for the sake of drama. "Enough of school! I want to melt our brains with some good old-fashioned Santa Prisca Invasion. Also, I can show you this new app that I think you'll really…"

Wally froze, staring. He vaguely heard Rob's questioning voice behind him before his bud's footsteps halted as well, even more shocked.

They weren't alone.

The red head couldn't explain the sudden, sure terror of death, of doom. There was a man, dressed in a suit that fit like a glove, black as night, with a severe expression that may pass for a serious businessman in other circumstances. But here, in the dark of the warehouse where Wally had never seen anyone but his friend, with the shadows seeming to cling to the foreboding character like a dark cape, the teen almost lost control of himself and _ran like hell._

Instead, as his heart skyrocketed, he maneuvered himself directly in front of his best friend, one hand going back and pressing against the unmovable figure. "Who the hell are you?" Mentally, he was floored that his voice didn't shake like the rest of him. Maybe they had been careless, maybe Rob forgot to lock the door and this- this _person_ got in. Something told him that he wasn't going to make it home even if he ran, so he'd have to make a stand and defend his friend as long as he could.

Rob, despite Wally's hiss of _"stay back dude"_ , veered forward and protected _him_."What are you doing here?" His voice was hard, angrier than Wally had heard it before, and it freaked him out before his brain caught up.

Rob didn't ask how the stranger got in. He wanted to know why the person was _here_ , not who he that mean Robin _knew_ this, this person? "Wait," he said out loud, watching the figure assess them both with a clinical apathy that made his skin want to crawl off his bones. He hadn't made any move against them since they entered. The hella expensive clothes, Rob knowing him… "Is this… B-man?"

The roving blue eyes met his, and Wally again shuddered as he fought the instinct to bolt. The man's body language was so still, so much like Rob when they first met, that he was sure he was right. But man, if he was getting any readings off 'B-man', it was that he was _pissed_. "Uh…" His mouth opened before he could stop it. "I gotta be real, Rob said you were creepy, but I didn't believe him."

 _You idiot._

Robin turned to look at him, expression both exasperated and nervous. He's pretty sure the man's mouth twitched, but he was distracted because Rob had started taking his glasses off. "Wally, you need to-"

"Put those back on."

Wally blinked as the breathtaking blue of Rob's eyes suddenly disappeared again, leaving him disoriented. Rob seemed more agitated, the grip on his glasses shaking as he grit his teeth. B-man's voice was smooth, deceptively calm to belong to such an intimidating figure.

"So you're the child running around with… Robin."

 _Right. Priorities, focus._ Moving to stand next to his friend, still worried by the younger boy's strange frustration, he did his best to meet the guardian's eyes. "Listen, uh, I don't know if it's the lighting of this place or what, but if you were going for intimidation, you totally win, okay?" If this was B-man, then it was really, really important to him that the guy approved. Based on that eavesdropping session from last week, this man didn't want him near Robin, and Wally not getting to see his best friend anymore was enough to help him keep his mouth from running. "It makes sense that Rob said you scare people away." Okay, _relatively_ keep his mouth from running. "But I'm not- I mean, okay, so sometimes we've been meeting at night." Shit that sounded bad. "And maybe not in the safest places." _Jesus that was worse._ "But I swear, Rob's- _Robin's_ my friend and I'm not going to back off just because you share the same freaky vibes he does." Straightening his back and fighting down panic as his heart kept pounding in his ears, he took two steps forward before Rob frantically gripped his left hand to keep him from going further, instead extending his right. "So, uh, I'm Robin's friend Wally. Nice to meet you."

The intimidating figure made no move to shake his hand, to even crack the look of disgust on his face. _I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die_ \- Wally's pretty sure you aren't supposed to feel this scared meeting your friend's parents. Still, he was recklessly stubborn, and even though it felt like his hand might get cut off if he kept it held out any longer, he kept it up. _This asshole can either shake my hand like an adult or be a douche. No wonder Rob sneaks out._

Rob's grip was starting to hurt, like he was ready to attempt hurling Wally behind him if B-man made the wrong move. Which was really considerate of him, but his hand was going numb, so…

"Robin." The man's voice cut through the air once again. Wally felt his friend stiffen behind him, and couldn't help but glance back even as his hand stupidly stayed out expecting to be shook. "Go home, I have some questions for your _friend_."

Panic seemed to edge into the younger boy's features. "Bru- B-man, I told you he's cool, I _swear-_ "

"Now, Robin."

In an almost spooky fashion, Rob released his hand and headed straight for the door, closing it quietly behind him. No 'see you later', parting glance, nothing. And just like that, Wally was alone.

He turned back, finally giving up and lowering his hand. "Just so you know, if you kill me, I'm pretty sure Rob will tell on you to the police. Pretty sure."

B-man raised an eyebrow that told Wally he'd die, and nobody would ever know what happened to him, if he kept letting his mouth run. With too smooth a gesture, the adult motioned to two chairs that had been placed near the gaming system. "Sit. We're going to talk."

Wally wanted very much to run after Robin, and stay the hell away from this man. But that command had a very ominous " _or else"_ attached to it, so he did his best to slump over casually like he was cool with this.

B-man, apparently, chose to stay standing, and resumed his very intense stare down of the teen.

"So, um…" Wally didn't know what to say.

"How," the calm voice took a cutting dive, far darker and scarier now that his ward was gone, "did you find my son." His mouth barely moved, but his eyes spoke volumes of the underlying anger waiting to be unleashed if Wally made the wrong move.

 _Jesus take the wheel._ "To be absolutely, one hundred percent fair, Rob found _me_. Er, a few months ago I was out because- well fresh air can do you good, right? But I was in the park and he just showed up." Wally couldn't stop his mouth, his voice now taking on a frantic note as he desperately tried to figure out what he could say to make this guy stop wanting to kill him. "And like, he's just a kid, you know? I like hanging out with him but maybe you shouldn't let him out at night like that, there's this serial killer in the area that- uh, never mind. We, we started talking about ninjas and pirates, and video games, and we just got along, and started hanging out and he's the one who told me about this warehouse because I don't know what his schedule's like but I couldn't keep doing the overnights and-"

"Stop."

Wally's mouth snapped shut with an audible _clack_ , self-preservation determined to save his sorry ass.

His rambling seemed to have done something right, because the anger had slowly drained into something simmering beneath the surface, B-man's expression almost puzzled if it was any less intimidating. "What's your name."

"W-Wally? I said it earlier when you didn't shake my hand-"

"Your _name_."

"Oh! Uh, Wally West. Wallace West." Stupidly, he scrambled through his pockets until he found his school ID, shoving it out like it was the evidence needed to prove his innocence. He was surprised when B-man took it, his actions so quick he didn't feel the card leave his grasp. "I uh, my parents just moved me here a month or so ago. A shitty corporate buy out made my dad lose his job, but he got one here. This city sucks- no offense- but Rob's made it, you know, more livable."

The man's mouth twitched again, "So you're a friendless nobody who attached himself to my son."

Wow, ouch. "You know what, where do you get off?" Having evaded death so far, he could feel his indignation rising. "I have some great qualities, okay?"

"Yes, qualities like juvenile delinquency by sneaking out of your house. Likely lying to your parents. Unable to socially adapt at your new school."

Wally, despite himself, stood up from the chair- seeming to surprise the elder man. "I wouldn't expect a guy who looks fed with a silver spoon to get how obnoxious rich ass kids are. So yeah, socializing with the snobby elite isn't my strong suite, _sue me_." _Wait, don't sue me, shit._ "But do you know who really needs some socializing? _Robin_.That kid _needs_ friends." Even as he said it, Wally realized how true that statement was. "He's smart, he's hilarious, he's talented and yet somehow seems to have no one. Sounds to me like that's on you, man. And you know what? As a guardian, that's _super_ uncool." The red head straightened a bit, growing more irate on Robin's behalf as he thought about it. "Rob said you have a lot of family history or whatever that causes problems. Like, why are you putting that on your kid? He can't survive his teen years on video games and computer friends. Maybe it _shouldn't_ be me, but is should be _someone._ "

B-man remained motionless, still staring him down the whole time. At last, the man spoke again, calmly folding his hands behind his back. "Robin deserves many things, but our circumstances do not allow many of the freedoms you take for granted." Wally hunched into himself a bit, once again reminded that there seemed to be a lot he _didn't_ know about his friend. "He knows forming friendships isn't something he can do lightly."

Mulish, Wally folded his hands defensively across his chest. "He's a kid, dude. I can't imagine your parents would keep you from having friends like this- or is that why you do it to your own kid?"

The hardness returned to his eyes, and Wally momentarily felt his heart jack rabbit in fear, but the ire from the beginning didn't make a comeback.

"I was worried he had been conned by someone who wanted to take advantage of his… position." The guardian finally turned away, his shoulders falling slightly as he moved towards the door. "Worse, it appears he found someone genuine." Before he could ask about _that_ statement, the man looked over his shoulder, stopping as his hand wrapped around the handle. "Go home, Wally. I will talk to my son about… this. But your friendship with Robin is not something that can go on. Well intentioned or not, it's a foolish action taken by you both."

Artemis' words came back in a haunting memory. _"He's not your friend, Wally. He_ can't _be your friend."_

"No." Wally blurted before he could stop himself. He saw the man freeze and had a brief moment to consider apologizing and leaving it at that; but thought of those few vulnerable moments his friend had shown him in the past and pressed on. "If Robin wants to stop being my friend, then fine. That would hurt, a lot, but that's his decision. However, it's _not_ mine and he, he's a great guy! If we need to figure out a different way to hang out because you don't like the night escapades or intruding on your warehouse, dude, I'd love to go daylight and hang that way, but it's up to him. I'm not going to give up being there for him just because you-" _low key threaten me_ "you-" _will probably kill me for talking back_ "have this idea in your head that I'm bad for Robin!"

The man regarded Wally, and for the briefest moment, the teen could swear there was something like regret in his eyes. "How have you been feeling, Wally?"

The teen paused, not sure where this was going. "Uh, I mean, panicky and not my usual chill self, but you give off these serious murder vibes-"

"Ever since you met Robin." He amended through slightly clenched teeth. "How have you been feeling?"

"How have I…" Wally trailed off, thinking about all the things he'd been trying not to think about. Being tired, forgetting, unable to speak of certain things, the paranoia and fear that seemed to be a constant in his life even around his best friend.

B-man's lips thinned, as if seeing the confirming his question through the expression on the teen's face. "Robin is my ward, and it's my job to protect him, but you've misunderstood. This meeting was to discern that it wasn't you who was bad for my son." He turned and walked out to the hall, his words lingering in the cavernous room.

"It's Robin who's bad for you."

 **I have been getting a lot of messages/reviews begging for this story not to be dead. It's not, I promise. But like all my works, it's, like, on the 5** **th** **or 7** **th** **tier of life obligations, and my other life priorities tend to take time away from this. So, if you're new to my fic writing (even for this adopted fic), then you should know that I definitely, definitely take months to update. If you get more than one chapter in a month, I don't know what's going on in my life but it's a stroke of statistical chance, not reality.  
Anyway, response time:**

 **Nicetwin123:** **I did update! Sorry it takes me forever to do that, but I promise I'll put my best efforts into whatever does get posted!**

 **Roxassoul:** **I'm glad you like this story too! My friend wanted to let it go, but I knew it needed a chance to live, even if it took forever (because of me) to finish. I hope you like the new updates!**

 **VeronicaChase** **: Even better, another update.**

 **SunnyStormCloud:** **I'm glad it makes you happy and hope this time was no exception! If possible, let me know what you love about it, and I can keep ensuring those aspects make it into the story!**

 **Teharissa** **: I'm so glad you've been enjoying it so far! And yes, Bruce… he's torn. And Dick has managed to make a friendship with Wally that, honestly, is a bit doomed from the start, so his desperate need to keep it alive makes sense.** **They'll have a continuing downturn before it swings back up again, but it will swing back up! Like you said, romance or not, those two have an amazing bromance. Hope the update was to your liking!**

 **Thecharmedone927** **: More chapter given? And more given later too! Sorry to ask for patience on the updates, but I promise they do eventually come…**

 **Syns** **: Thank you again for your understanding and patience, I promise I will do my best to post quality chapters even if it does take a long time to get to them. Dick deserves a chance to have friends, and as well meaning as Bruce was by keeping him from having that, it really will backfire on him soon. One thing I've learned from life is lonely kids (undead or otherwise) is one of the saddest things out there, because often they just need that one friend to help them be the best them they can be. But anyway, that's a rant that doesn't really need to be in this. We'll learn a bit more about the hunter faction of Gotham later, but while Arty plays an important role, 'they' as a whole really don't. I hope that's okay!**

 **Uh oh:** **I mean… yeah, he will. I don't want to spoil how that goes down though. So I can't really respond much to your review, sorry! But thank you FOR reviewing! It means a lot!**

 **Gopher** **: You dance so closely to the truth and the future, but I don't want to tell you how because it would be a shame to spoil it for a viewer! But yes, the tragedy of Dick's situation is that he really needs friends, to not be so alone, and circumstances out of his control tend to prevent that. But, as all Wally lovers know, that speedster (sans speedster gifts in this story) is a delightful wildcard meant to give loners a chance for friends. XD You give some suggestions I'm tempted to play with, but alas, this fic is a bit more dark (kinda literally) than those notions would go for. Maybe as an epilogue (you know, years from now because of my pace)?**

 **No name:** **-Bruce snatches his child out of the way, throws a smoke bomb at you, and calls for Alfred because he wasn't prepared for tenacious fool-hardy beings that didn't cower before him-**

 **Fruit Loops:** **-whistles awkwardly off key- yeah, that… that would be bad, yeah… um… well I can promise they'll be friends at the end of all things? And yes- the reveal will be delightful, at least for me. I enjoy writing the revelation pieces to fics sooo much. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!**

 **Guest123:** **Sorry, I didn't realize I failed to answer it! But to be fair, to answer your question will make the fic loose some of it's ambiguousness and might not be as fun for you. I will say, for that moment, Dick was thinking about the scum that he hunts down, and how their deaths are better for everyone than the lives they had. So to an extent, yes- Robin purposefully stalks and attacks the dredges of Gotham rather than any random Joe. How he feels about his own role as a killer, whether other vampires- particularly Bruce- follow similar lines of thought- I will leave for you to learn in later chapters.**

 **Oh No:** **Since it appears you are speaking directly to Dick, I will tell you what his response likely would be: "I'm trying, okay? I never expected… he's such a** _ **doofus**_ **but I can actually feel like a kid again when I'm around him. I'm not hurting him! I'm protecting him! He might- he might be a little mad when he finds out, but I'm figuring that out. We have time; I'll keep him safe, and we'll keep hanging out until I find the right moment. He said he was my friend, so he'll have to forgive me. He said he was my friend…" Off the top of my head, for this fic's Richard, I feel like that is the appropriate response.**

 **The best guest:** **Quite the name to live up to, my reviewer. Similar to another review, you dance around some fun ideas that may be within the future of this fic, but I would not want to spoil it for you as the viewer! The hunters aren't as important as the vampires will be, but we haven't seen the last of Arty or her new determination to help the lacking-self-preservation Wallace West.**

 **Guest** **: I'm curious how you felt for this chapter. I know Rob didn't play as big a role, but I figured it was time to see the guardian who influenced that character's behavior. (as to your parenthesis statement, for now I say nothing, because I want Richard's reveal of his past to be from the story, not my response section- but you and so many reviewers make me want to deviate from the stories path! Amazing ideas! Some I will definitely have to subtly incorporate).**

 **Update please:** **It has been done. I'm sorry to say you are now in the same situation as you were before. I will say thank you, though, for writing a review to me!**

 **Oh No** **: Oh dear, XD too light-hearted to be in this fic, but I absolutely love it. To be fair, Wally doesn't know a stake is the best course of action if he somehow decided he wanted to murder his friend… yet. I never mind extra reviews, so good to hear from you again!**

 **Gabrielsangel23** **: I'm glad you like this story! The person who started it is great, and I'm glad I get to keep it going! I've heard that phrase a lot recently but I'm not sure what it is- what is 'yandere'? (I should probably just google it, honestly). I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and will update when I can for the next chapter!**

 **Whichdoctor** _ **:**_ **I'm sorry because you do have to wait! Every time I update, you must wait anew. But I hope you enjoyed this update and I will do my best to deliver another good chapter next time!**

 **Cat** **: Robin's backstory is to be told another chapter, so for now I will remain silent on your musings… but as this story tends to go, it won't be a very light hearted past.**

 **The Guest Guest:** **Weirdly, you have won the award today for my favorite pen name. Also: no, I'm sorry and promise it's not forgotten, it's just not priority. I hope you are alright to wait a few months at a time for updates, but it WILL continue to be updated.**

 **Question** **: Answer: no, promise!**

 **Random fan: ****It is not, merely delayed in being written as the author's life continuing on, not slowing down or giving any consideration to where they want to prioritize. I promise this fic will continue to be updated, but at a slower pace than most fics. That is the unfortunate price of me being the author.**

 **Person:** **Remarkably, your review was well timed- I have continued as requested, and will continue to continue as I can. I hope you enjoyed the update, and promise though it may take time, I will do my best to provide great chapters in the future as well.**


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